As the dust begins to settle nearly a month after its debut, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is making waves in the gaming world, securing its spot as one of 2025’s standout releases. Industry expert Mat Piscatella reports that for three straight weeks, it’s clinched the title of the best-selling game in the U.S., and it’s well on its way to being the year’s second top-seller. While aficionados of the series are reveling in this success, many eagerly anticipate the next chapter: Assassin’s Creed: Codename Hexe. Though details on the upcoming title are scarce, one enigmatic figure from Shadows, the Spanish assassin Alvaro Catarribera, may bridge the two games, adding an intriguing layer to the series’ lore.
Early in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the story slowly unveils the mysterious ties between Fujibayashi Naoe’s mother and the Assassin Brotherhood. It’s only after Naoe and Yasuke’s encounters with historical figures like Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hattori Hanzo that the connection becomes clearer. During their adventure, they stumble upon an ancient kofun previously used by Assassins, where they find a journal by Alvaro Catarribera, a former member of the Spanish Brotherhood in the 16th century. As Yasuke translates the journal for Naoe, the Animus offers a glimpse into Catarribera’s thoughts and memories, leaving the modern character captivated.
Catarribera was once a steadfast follower of the Brotherhood’s ideals, advocating for the oppressed and staying true to the Assassin’s Creed. His life took a tragic turn during a mission where, in a grave mistake, he killed an innocent girl. Overcome with remorse, Catarribera’s subsequent excommunication from the Brotherhood haunted him. Driven by nightmares, he embarked on a journey across Asia, from Malaysia to Taiwan, finally arriving in China. In Macao, he thwarted a Templar scheme aimed at expanding into Japan, arriving there in 1549 with renewed zeal to uphold the Brotherhood’s mission.
His travels in Japan saw him near Nagasaki, where Catarribera saved a girl named Tsuyu, who would later marry Fujibayashi Nagato and become Naoe’s mother. Together, they established the Japanese Brotherhood, known as the Kakushiba ikki. Tsuyu became Catarribera’s first recruit. They soon formed alliances with iconic figures like Hattori Hanzo and Momochi Sandayu. Even Emperor Go-Nara trusted them with safeguarding the Imperial Regalia against the Templars. Eventually, Catarribera departed Japan, leaving the Brotherhood in Tsuyu’s capable hands as its new Master Assassin.
Speculation is rife about Catarribera’s possible role in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed: Codename Hexe. If he survived to see the events around Naoe and Yasuke’s new Brotherhood in 1582, he might still be intertwined with Shadows. With Hexe positioned as the next major entry after Shadows, potentially arriving in 2026 following delays, Catarribera’s story might continue. Leaks hint that Hexe might explore witch trials in the Holy Roman Empire, spanning from the late Middle Ages to the Enlightenment. Should these rumors be true, Catarribera’s involvement could play out in multiple scenarios.
He might appear in Hexe during the Spanish Brotherhood era of the early 1500s or post-Japanese Brotherhood. The game could depict his excommunication or his efforts to unite Kakushiba ikki with European Assassins. Moreover, there’s buzz about Catarribera surfacing in future Shadows DLC. As players anticipate the Claws of Awaji Expansion on Awaji Island set for a 2025 release, Catarribera might assist Naoe and Yasuke in their quest for a lost treasure, potentially a Piece of Eden. His return could deepen his backstory and seamlessly set the stage for his role in Codename Hexe, especially if he ultimately journeys to Europe to forge ties with fellow Assassins.
